The act of schools monitoring staff and registered pupils is generally a complex topic that requires a bit of nuance and fairness when addressing it. I mean, contrary to some opinions, if you ask me right now what I think about being closely watched by any institution, I would use the word "creepy" to express my displeasure with that idea. I also don’t think it’s a stretch to say that because it’s exactly how I feel whenever I realize that somebody is snooping on me and watching my every move.
Most times, I imagine myself being 21 again and learning that there’s a member of my school’s staff actively stalking my social media pages. I would be instantly perplexed because I know how much I loved my privacy and preferred to keep some of my activities within my circle and age group.
People often called me secretive because of my personality; they didn’t have the full picture of my personal dealings. But it was intentional to keep a huge part of my life private and that is still the case in this present day, so it would be a bad idea to realize that I’m being stalked. The feeling of insecurity would definitely rise within me. I would become too mindful of what I post online, and eventually it might begin to feel like walking on eggshells simply because my school chose to monitor my life.
I also think about the possibility of a situation where the school spy snooping around my social media pages doesn’t make a single mistake to reveal themselves. Then, the next day at school, I’m being queried for an Instagram post I made that doesn’t really harm anyone but is considered inappropriate by the institution. Definitely, I would be mad at them for invading my privacy because, for all I know, the person keeping tabs on me is still human, and their interest could shift from the monitoring they were asked to do to something more intrusive.
Admittedly, there are a couple of positive reasons for monitoring students and staff, including the detection of bullying, mental health issues, unhealthy patterns, and overall safety. But in countries that are super religious with different kinds of phobias, I wouldn’t encourage any form of monitoring outside the school premises. People have biases, so if they were allowed free access to monitor others and realized differences in strong opinions and lifestyles, it could affect decision-making and create subtle hostility when everyone is back in the school environment.
So, to be fair, I believe that schools can do much better by shifting the focus from social media and making their environment very conducive for everyone. Both staff and students ought to be able to attest to a healthy work or learning environment. They should also be encouraged to report the wrongdoing of colleagues and classmates on social media without the school having to step in and monitor anyone closely. By the way, people naturally take things up with higher authorities when they notice dangerous or unhealthy patterns in those they engage with on social media. So, it's not exactly necessary for institutions to monitor anyone digitally without valid concerns.
In a situation where any staff member or student is then reported to the authorities for misconduct or inappropriate behavior, the school can now come in and use social media monitoring as a means of investigating the claims. If found guilty, the people involved should be called to order, suspended, fired, or expelled, as the case may be. But monitoring students as a first resort without any reports is an idea I will always kick against, and I believe others should as well.
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